Formal complaint about panel doctor

[Guest wanna]

I am having a situation with my panel doctor.

Well, actually not the doctor herself, but with the guy who runs the agency that organizes medicals and sends docs to Australia.

 

This guy is either a fraud or impossibly incompetent and I want to file a formal complaint. My first formal complaint ever. In my life. That's how bad this guy is.

So incompetent and unwilling to actually send my medical results, which have been finalised 10 days ago and have been sitting on his desk ( or floor ) since.

And this is just one issue I have with him. If it was just this 'minor issue' I wouldn't bother with complaining. But...

I just think it is unfair for all the people who are gonna have to go through the same hell with him in the future and I want him removed from this position. Or at least

warned or something.

.

However, the question is... who do I complain to? DIAC? Any especial address?

Anybody had a similar experience?

 

wanna

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

Is this in the UK? If so, it won't be the person who is in overall charge of the clinic that is responsible for sending the documents etc themselves. In which case, you need to

a) ask for the formal grievance procedure for that clinic (they have to have one), they may need to know it is for the admin side, rather than the medical side (as if it were the Doctor it would the remit of the GMC at some point possibly, although that would be a further step to take and not something to run into straight away)

b) follow that grievance procedure and hopefully get joy there, if not

c) you can follow that up by contacting the Managing Director of the Ltd company that the clinic will no doubt be - by law they will display the name of the company that own them, as it were, and from Companies House (online or in London) you can get the name and address/es of the director/s. A tip, if possible, and no joy is forthcoming is to write to the wife of a CO at the home address (although that is very sexist, sorry, and waaaaay down the line).

 

I would do a & b before contacting DIAC, as there may be other issues at play you are not aware of imho.

 

If its outside of the UK, sorry no idea other than again, asking for their formal complaints procedure, if they have one (I guess it will vary from country to country as to legal operating procedures).

[snifter]

Someone once said to me not to annoy the panel Doctors and to just let them do what they do. However, if the care/service has been truly terrible, making a complaint should not affect the medical or reflect on the person making the complaint in any way shape or form.

 

I'd perhaps advise not going in too strong, even though you would like to.

 

Your usual first port of call should always be the practice manager. Phone for a chat and explain your concerns. Don't make it a 'complaint' from the off. If it then isn't resolved, call back and ask about making a complaint official. Usually these things can be resolved without too much fuss.

[Guest wanna]

@Adelaide_bound - unfortunatelly not in UK. And this is not actually a clinic per se. But thanks for advices. I will definitely try harder to determine who this guy's boss is on international level; and contact him first if possible and not go directly to DIAC.

 

 

@snifter - ah, well... it is not the doctor that I am annoying... rather the guy who is in charge of logistics and who should make sure everything is running smoothly. That's what his job is. And he does it terribly due to his poor organisational skills. And I said to myself for the first 5 times he messed up: "Be patient". For the next 5 times I just told to myself : "Just a little more patience. This will all soon be over". But on the 15th time he managed to mess up in this short time I have had a misfortune to know him, I just lost it. And I don't think that anyone else should be the victim to this guy... That is the point of my action.

So, probably I will make a formal complaint after I get my visa, no sooner.

[Guest ozdreamsa]

We also faced difficulty with the panel doctor n the clinic staffs. I did not complain and just waited for the meds result. We paid around $800 AUD and did not expect any kind of rude behavior n ineffuciency. But things do not akways go as expected. The process felt like a big business ground for them.

[Gollywobbler]

Hi Wanna

 

In which country has the problem been happening, please? What you should do depends on whete the problem is, my friend.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Pommy99]

Medical results finalised 10 days ago and you have complained 15 times??

[Guest wanna]

Medical results finalised 10 days ago and you have complained 15 times??

 

Yeah, sure. It is me. I am crazy. Of course. Thank you for your support. It is really comforting to know that there are still people out there who will blame me without having any idea what was going on. Great. Thanks, mate. Good luck to you too.

[Pommy99]

I don't need you luck but you are going to need plenty if you expect to get on in Oz with that attitude.

[foxychick]

Yeah, sure. It is me. I am crazy. Of course. Thank you for your support. It is really comforting to know that there are still people out there who will blame me without having any idea what was going on. Great. Thanks, mate. Good luck to you too.

 

To be fair, you have given limited information, so yes, people don't have the full story, and therefore may comment only on what you have let them know.

Good luck with sorting it all out.

[Guest wanna]

Yes, I did give limited information and I have my reasons for it. I just asked for advice about who should I complain to so I didn't really think it was necessary to go into details. I don't need any help regarding my situation because there is nothing that there can be done. It will be how it will be and I just have to bite my tongue and hold it a bit longer. I did not complain for 15 times. I only complained after his fifteenth omission. So, to be fair, I only complained once. I do not enjoy complaining and I am not the kind of persons who just writes formal complaints all day long because I have nothing better to do. That is why I stressed that this is going to be my first formal complaint ever.

I just don't think that this person should do this job. And I am not the only one. Everyone is complaining about him. Just nobody formally. And I just feel that it is my civil duty to file a complaint. If you don't complain, nothing ever changes to better, right? I would hate seeing this guy making idiots of hundreds of people who will come after me. If there is anything I can do about it, I feel it is my obligation to do so.

At least in this way I could make sure his work will be under revision.

If I wrote everything that was going on, you would not believe me. I can't believe it myself, to be honest. It is out of this world.

I said that my docs being on his floor on the pile with other papers and docs ( and yes, it was the floor, I saw it myself ) for 10 days is just one minor issue.

[Gollywobbler]

Yes, I did give limited information and I have my reasons for it. I just asked for advice about who should I complain to so I didn't really think it was necessary to go into details. I don't need any help regarding my situation because there is nothing that there can be done. It will be how it will be and I just have to bite my tongue and hold it a bit longer. I did not complain for 15 times. I only complained after his fifteenth omission. So, to be fair, I only complained once. I do not enjoy complaining and I am not the kind of persons who just writes formal complaints all day long because I have nothing better to do. That is why I stressed that this is going to be my first formal complaint ever.

I just don't think that this person should do this job. And I am not the only one. Everyone is complaining about him. Just nobody formally. And I just feel that it is my civil duty to file a complaint. If you don't complain, nothing ever changes to better, right? I would hate seeing this guy making idiots of hundreds of people who will come after me. If there is anything I can do about it, I feel it is my obligation to do so.

At least in this way I could make sure his work will be under revision.

If I wrote everything that was going on, you would not believe me. I can't believe it myself, to be honest. It is out of this world.

I said that my docs being on his floor on the pile with other papers and docs ( and yes, it was the floor, I saw it myself ) for 10 days is just one minor issue.

 

Hi Wanna

 

Please relax. The person who needs to know is Dr Paul Douglas. He is DIAC's Chief Medical Officer, based at DIAC's Health Operations Centre in Sydney. If Dr Duglas hears that there is a problem, I am sure that he will sort it out quickly.

 

However it is not possible to contact Dr Douglas direct. It has to be done via the Australian Embassy responsible for the country in which the complainant resides. The Embassy is not always in the counry concerned because Australia does not have an Embassy in every oher country.

 

So it can be fiddly but not to worry because you have sent me a PM, I have replied and with a bit of luck, my suggestion will work. If it doesn't work, please let me know and I will think of a Plan B!

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[snifter]

Here is hoping Gollywobbler's help with put you in the right direction. Good luck with it all wanna.

[Guest wanna]

Gill, thank you so much for your reply. This is great.

I will surely file a complaint after my visa is settled and it is great to know who I should approach.

I did cool my head a bit over the weekend... I am not so emotional about the whole thing anymore. But, still gonna complain.

It is my right, after all :-)

And a necessity in this case.

 

Thanks for you kind wishes Snifter... Support means a lot to me.

 

To everyone else... I wish you not to have any unexpected problems in any stage. The process is long and nerve wrecking enough, even when everything runs smoothly...

Godspeed!

[Gollywobbler]

Gill, thank you so much for your reply. This is great.

I will surely file a complaint after my visa is settled and it is great to know who I should approach.

I did cool my head a bit over the weekend... I am not so emotional about the whole thing anymore. But, still gonna complain.

It is my right, after all :-)

And a necessity in this case.

 

Thanks for you kind wishes Snifter... Support means a lot to me.

 

To everyone else... I wish you not to have any unexpected problems in any stage. The process is long and nerve wrecking enough, even when everything runs smoothly...

Godspeed!

 

Hi Wanna

 

Well said. The visa process is nerve-racking, for sure. I panicked big-style when the Medical Officer of the Commonwealth suddenly started raising queries about my own mother's Health a few years ago, during our application for a Contributory Parent visa for Mum. Various Registered Migration Agents told me not to panic but it is easier to say that than to do it, I found!

 

Cheers

 

Gill